A review of the Vax H90-GA-B Gator Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

A Top Quality Vacuum at a Great Price!

Vax H90-GA-B Gator Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Vax H90-GA-B Gator Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Vax H90-GA-B Gator Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

For those looking to vacuum small messes on a budget, the Vax Gator Handheld could be for you. For small easy vacuuming like clearing up crumbs, ashes or stray hairs, this 100 Watt vacuum is capable. It’s lightweight too and easy to manoeuvre at just 1.2kg.

With a battery life of under 10 minutes, this cordless vacuum cleaner is for small, fast jobs that don’t require a larger machine and with the built-in crevice tool, you can even use it for tricky places like car seats. In fact, having this as a dedicated car vacuum isn’t a bad idea, especially as it’s so small and compact.

Key Points:

1.2kg

Runtime: between 7 and 12 minutes

Charge time: 24 hours

8v 100w

Flip mouth for easy emptying

While this Vax H90-GA-B Gator vacuum isn’t going to win any design awards, it simply does what it says it’ll do. It’s not powerful enough to remove hair tangled into carpets and stairways but it’s good at removing crumbs and loose hairs from cars and sofas. For the price, it’s a useful little tool.

Although the run time is short, it’s actually not very different from more expensive handheld vacuums. This is mostly because the higher quality handhelds have more powerful suctions, requiring more battery power while this one will use less power. For small messes though, the 7-12 minute run time is just fine.

Hygienic Dust Collection Disposal

With a drop down ‘alligator-like’ mouth, the disposal is fairly hygienic and you shouldn’t need to get your hands dirty. This is useful especially as the dirt compartment is very small at just 0.2 litres.

The precision tool is retractable for easy storage but not particularly long when you want to get into corners. With brush attachments, this isn’t good for delicate areas like desks and bookshelves but it works well on chairs and sofas. Loose pet hair can be picked up by the Vax Gator with easy, for pet hair embedded in fabrics and carpets however, a different method needs to be used.

For a budget machine, the lightness and ease of use is a pro but the lack of quality suction power might be more of an annoyance. This is really only for very easy messes – great if you’ve got small children who lie to eat in the car!

Pros – A Lightweight Cordless Vacuum

The handle is comfortable although the weight distribution is far forward, meaning that you’ll need to use more wrist effort to manoeuvre it around. Still, at just over a kilogram, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the majority of people. For those looking at very undemanding handhelds, the Black and Decker flexi is a great compromise – affordable although not budget, but is very easy on the arm and wrist muscles and good for the elderly.

The charging cable is thin and needs taking care of when not in use to prevent damage. Similar to a phone charging cable, it adds to the feeling of cheapness that comes with this overall package but again, you get what you pay for.

Cons – Long charging time

The major problem with this vacuum is that the charging time is a whopping 24 hours. That’s pretty over the top considering the usage time is around or under ten minutes. Because this kind of vacuum is good for cars, it means you’d have to remove it from your car often and then charge it for a full 24 hours – making it not particularly fit for purpose. Depending on how often you’d envisage using it, this could be a deal breaker.

Overall

While not particularly powerful on the suction side of things, this is an good vacuum cleaner for those who just like to tidy their cars up a quickly here and there, especially if pets and messy children and frequent passengers. The long charge time might be a problem but if you won’t use it often then it could be overlooked.

AEG AG6106WDT Lithium Wet and Dry

This low to mid range cordless handheld vacuum cleaner from AEG is capable of cleaning up wet and dry messes without damaging the internals of the machine. It’s small and lightweight with a crevice tool inbuilt and has a run time of up to 14 minutes.

Key Points:

Wet and dry capabilities

Weighs 1 kilogram

Run time: up to 14 minutes

Two speeds

7.2 volts

Small wheels near mouth for smooth surfaces

A fairly basic looking handheld vacuum cleaner, this actually has a little more going for it that looks suggest. With the ability to suck up wet and dry spills, this vacuum means you don’t have to worry about internal corrosion. The wheels are small and soft, allowing you to run the AEG Lithium Wet and Dry vacuum over soft and hard surfaces without leaving marks or scratches.

The charge stand is small and practical, offering many angles for the vacuum to sit at. This means it can even be wall mounted. With a Turbo function, a crevice tool and a LED charge light, this has all the small functions you need and the suction power is reasonable. Good for small spills of loose debris and even wet debris, this is a good kitchen and car vacuum cleaner for those who don’t want to waste time.

VonHaus 7.2V Handheld Vacuum Review

VonHaus 7.2v Cordless Vacuum

This budget vacuum cleaner from VonHaus is small, compact and good for small jobs like sprucing up the car. With a run time of around 15 minutes on a full charge, you no longer need to worry about lugging the upright vacuum upstairs or out to your car. Having a small handheld vacuum saves you time and effort – no more rushing around before the guests arrive.

This is a very basic and very affordable handheld cordless vacuum cleaner from VonHaus. It’s powerful enough to suck up loose hair, debris and crumbs, making it ideal as a car vacuum cleaner, especially for those will small children and pets. With a run time of up to 15 minutes, you can quickly and easily zap up those dog hairs each time, before they get embedded into the seats.

With a comfortable handle and wheels to support the weight, this is useful for small areas in home and in the car. It lacks the sheer lightness and ease of use that Black and Decker and Dyson models have, but for the price, it’s not a bad option.

With a small charging station, a brush tool and a crevice tool, this is a handy machine for time-saving clean ups.

8. Vacuum Power Ratings

This is a much confused subject. Power is measured in Watts and refers to how much power the motor uses. This is a rough indication of how powerful suction will be but does have some caveats. Firstly, different vacuums use different motors, and some will be more efficient than others. For example, Dyson have incredible electric motors that are very efficient, where as other manufacturers might have a much poorer quality motor which will produce less suck for the same power input.

Dyson DC34

Secondly, a higher power rating (W) means that the battery life will quite often be shorter, or that the vacuum will need a bigger and heavier battery to achieve the same run time as a less powerful motor. So hight power vacuums are almost always going to be heavier and larger, and do not always provide more suction power.

Some people confuse volts with the power rating of a vacuum. Volts is related to the battery being used and does not affect the suction ability of the vacuum. Although, saying that, generally a higher voltage battery will be required by a higher power motor that draws more power so has a high wattage.

9. Docking station

Many handheld cordless vacuums come with a docking station. This is where you can place the vacuum when it is not in use and the docking station will charge it. Therefore the docking station needs to be plugged into the mains somewhere.

Black and Decker Lithium Flexi Vacuum Cleaner

Docking stations can be wall mounted and offer a convenient place to store your vacuum, especially since it will always be charged and ready to go.

10. Charge Indicators

Some cordless vacuums include some sort of charge indicator on the device. This is a really useful feature as you can easily see how much battery life is remaining and can therefore judge whether to start on the next project or put the vacuum on charge first. There’s nothing worse than only getting half a job done!

11. Attachments

Most cordless vacuums come with a selection of attachments. these attachments go on the suction end of the vacuum allowing the appliance more versatility. for example, a crevice attachment for getting into small corners, or a brush attachment for soft furnishings. When buying a vacuum always check what is included, you may find that the attachments are some of the most useful things that come with you vacuum.

12. Pet Specific Vacuums

Some cordless vacuums come with attachments specifically for pet hair removal. These pet hair vacuums usually consist of a special attachment that is designed to pick up pet hair from a variety of surfaces. Some attachments are designed so that the pet hair does not clog the nozzle and are easy to clean.

If you have a hairy pet or partner, then the pet hair removal tool can be an essential part of your cordless vacuum. If you intent on using your vacuum for mainly pet hair removal then you may want to choose a more powerful model that has the capability to suck up stubborn hair from around your home.

13. Wet and Dry Vacuums

A wet and dry use cordless vacuum is a real bonus. You can use these vacuums to suck up spills, such as coffee or water around your home. They work equally well for normal vacuuming and the dirt and water is collected in a removable collection bin. You may find that you have to rinse out the collection bin when you empty it as the dampness will have caused the dust to encrust itself on the inside. This isnt a very fun job but the ability to suck up spilt cereal and milk for example is pretty handy.

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